The 1520International portal publishes the second part
Freight Flow between Russia and China
Freight delivery between China and Russia is carried out via various routes and modes of transport, including: sea, rail, road and air. Each method has its own characteristics, terms and cost. According to TeDo, in 2024, the total freight turnover between the countries exceeded 290 million metric tons: 265 million tons of freight was sent from Russia to China, while 26 million tons was sent in the opposite direction. This disproportion is due to the characteristics of the freight base: mainly lighter and higher-margin cargo comes from China.
The most flexible and efficient way to send cargo, with the exception of certain raw materials, is container shipping. Container turnover between the countries by the end of 2024 amounted to 3 million TEU. In the China-Russia direction, 1.8 million TEU were transported (of which 41% were delivered by sea, 36% by rail and 22% by road), in the Russia-China direction - 1.2 million TEU (24% of cargo by sea, 56% by rail and 18% by road).
Map 1. China-Russia Route Map.
Source: compiled by the authors.
As continental neighbors which share borders totaling 4,209 km in length, Russia and China have paid special attention to the development of land routes for the supply of goods: by rail and road.
Rail transport performs an integration function, increasing the connectivity of regions and countries. According to Russian Railways, in 2024, the total volume of freight traffic between Russia and China reached 175 million metric tons, which is 9% more than in 2023. In January-February 2025, rail traffic increased by 9.3% compared to the same period last year, exceeding 30 million tons.
In early 2025, rail traffic through four Far Eastern border crossings showed growth. In the first five months of the year, the volume of cargo in export-import traffic with China increased 0.9%, reaching 16.9 million tons, of which 15.9 million tons was exported. The highest cargo turnover was traditionally recorded at the Zabaikalsk-Manchuria border crossing, through which 8.6 million tons were sent for export (+ 1.2%). The Grodekovo-Suifenhe (3.7 million tons, +9.7%) and Nizhneleninskoye-Tongjiang (2.5 million tons, +14.3%) crossings also showed a significant increase. At the same time, the volume of transportation through the Kamyshovaya-Hunchun crossing decreased 35.2%, amounting to 0.98 million tons.
Road transport is flexible and adaptable, which makes it the first choice for many shippers. In 2024, road freight transportation from China to Russia showed noticeable growth. 589.2 thousand trucks passed through road border crossings heading eastward at the border with China and Mongolia, which is 48.8% more than in 2023. At the same time, 327.4 thousand trucks entered Russia (+38.3%), and 261.8 thousand vehicles departed Russia in this direction - an increase of 64.4%. Other border crossings also showed growth. For example, more than 76.4 thousand trucks passed through the Pogranichny checkpoint in Primorsky Krai (+66%). The Kani-Kurgan checkpoint in Amur Oblast cleared over 52.1 thousand vehicles (+30%).
Sea transport is a traditional delivery method for goods that are sensitive to logistics costs and less dependent on delivery speed. Russia's sea gates in trade with China are the ports of the Far East (Vladivostok, Vostochny, Nakhodka). According to the results of 2024, the total cargo turnover of the ports of the Far Eastern basin decreased to 236.5 million tons, making it 2.3% less than in the previous year.
At the same time, container turnover for 2024 increased by 5%, amounting to 2.7 million TEU (+119 thousand TEU). Particularly noticeable was the increase in handling containers with imported cargo - by 20% compared to last year, to 1.24 million TEU, which corresponds to an increase of 209 thousand TEU. At the same time, exports decreased 6%, or 46 thousand TEU, amounting to 690 thousand TEU. The importance of China for trade is illustrated by the fact that, according to the Vladivostok Sea Port, of the total volume of international trade turnover of the Commercial Port of Vladivostok, the ports of China account for about 70% of container turnover.
In April 2025, the container turnover of the ports of the Far Eastern Basin decreased by 13% compared to March, the most significant drop in a year. According to the InfraNews agency, the decrease is due to the reorientation of part of the cargo flows to the ports of the Baltic Basin. The publication notes that the volume of container imports from January to April decreased from 100 thousand TEU per month to 70 thousand TEU per month.
Air transport is the fastest, but also the most expensive way to transport goods between partners. The key air cargo routes between China and Russia remain the Moscow-Beijing routes. In 2024, the volume of transportation on this route amounted to about 50 thousand tons, which is 12% more than in 2023. The St. Petersburg-Shanghai route is also important (28 thousand tons).
Infrastructure and Delivery Times of Cargo
The main continental routes are represented by border crossings of three segments:
¾ Along the border of Russia and China (Suifenhe – Grodekovo; Tongjiang – Nizhneleninskoye; Hunchun – Kamyshovaya; Zabaikalsk – Manchuria).
¾ Through Mongolia (Sukhe-Bator – Naushki).
¾ Through Kazakhstan (Dostyk – Alashankou; Altynkol – Khorgos).
Most border crossings have both a railway and a road component. The main border crossing for bilateral trade between Russia and China is Zabaikalsk (TCP and MAC), through which up to 50% of the continental cargo flow between the countries in absolute terms passes. In addition, there are plans to expand it in terms of container logistics. Next comes Grodekovo (TCP) and others. In 2022, the first railway bridge across the Amur River and the Nizhneleninskoye - Tongjiang section was opened for freight traffic.
A separate area of effort is the modernization of the "Eastern Polygon" - the infrastructure of the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) and the Trans-Siberian Railway (Transsib). The key task is to expand the railway infrastructure of the Far East in order to ensure increased transportation volumes for both container and other cargo.
The railway route through Mongolia is traditionally important for trade between Russia and China. Freight traffic along this route mainly originates in the northern and central provinces of China and is sent via the Trans-Mongolian Railway. The key border points are two pairs of crossings: Ereen Hot (PRC) - Zamyn-Üüd (Mongolia) and Sukhe Bator (Mongolia) - Naushki (Russia). In 2024, over 8.5 million tons of cargo was transported through the Naushki railway crossing, and the expansion of the capacity of the Naushki railway crossing will increase its capacity to 15 million tons per year.
Separately, it is necessary to note the route through Kazakhstan using the Dostyk and Altynkol border crossings. This route is traditionally used for China-Europe-China transit. However, due to the reorientation to the East, Kazakhstan's border crossings are also used for export-import transportation between Russia/Belarus and China. In addition to the existing border crossings, a third railway crossing point is being built - Bakhty, which will be located north of the other two points; it is largely focused on bilateral trade between Russia and China.
The availability of flexible infrastructure allows shippers from Russia and China to choose the most optimal delivery methods. As shown in the comparative table prepared by ERAI analysts, sea cargo delivery takes the longest amount of time, from 35 to 50 days, but, as a rule, is the most economical means of cargo delivery. Rail transport requires from 15 to 30 days for delivery and is the optimal means of cargo delivery in terms of speed and cost. Flexible road transport ensures delivery in 11-25 days depending on the route and the workload of border crossings. The fastest mode of transportation is air transport, which is typically used for cargo which requires quick delivery (for example, flowers) or has high safety requirements (for example, microelectronics).
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